Iran has intercepted and seized four more tankers said to be involved in smuggling cheap fuel oil out of the country.
The arrests were made in the Persian Gulf, with thousands of litres of oil recovered, according to Ebrahim Taheri, the prosecutor of Minab county in Hormozgan province.
He told Press TV on Tuesday that the operations were carried out by naval patrol officers, supported by a marine commando unit.
Fuel was stored in vessel tanks and large containers, Taheri added.
The ships have now been handed over to the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Co.
The vessels have not been named, but they join a growing list to fall foul of Iranian forces this year over smuggling allegations.
These are usually small vessels and not always tankers. Some reports have suggested offshore ships are involved, but this has not been confirmed.
Iran is known for some of the world’s lowest fuel prices due to heavy subsidies.
Price differences with neighbouring countries encourage smuggling.
In April, the Tanzanian ship registry said two vessels seized by Iran were no longer on its books.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had arrested two Tanzanian-flagged ships carrying 1.5m litres of smuggled diesel.
The ships were named the Sea Ranger and the Salama. No tankers under these names are listed in maritime databases.
Business Insider Africa reported that the Tanzanian government clarified that the vessels were flagged in the country in the past, but they were no longer registered in Tanzania when they were arrested.
Domestic media reported the flag state had deregistered the ships.
At the end of March and into early April, Iran arrested three tankers on suspicion of smuggling.
